Discovery

My cancer was discovered completely by happenstance. I was playing basketball for a class at the University of Louisville, in a defensive drill, when the person I was defending stepped on my foot. I fell flat on my back. I thought nothing of it, of course. In fact, the fall was a rather good one, it didn't hurt. But what did happen is that I couldn't breathe too well and I coughed up a bit of blood. This concerned me, but I thought, if it continues I'll go see a doctor. It didn't continue. I played ultimate frisbee that night, basketball two days later, and ran with my dogs most of the week. But the next Monday I started coughing up a lot of blood and had a heck of time breathing. It wasn't so much blood to be that alarming, but enough to get me to go the hospital.

While at the hospital, they checked me out and told me there seemed to be nothing wrong with me. I was starting to feel much better. They deciding to take an X-ray of my chest just to make sure. When they did, they found something. Didn't have the slightest, so they decided to do a CT scan. They confirmed the unidentified mass was really there in my lung. It was determined I needed a needle biopsy to determine what this mass was. They did the needle biopsy, which had me quite nervouse, but was not bad at all. I was awake through the procedure and went home that afternoon. The needle biopsy was inconclusive. But they did determine the cells might be Reed-Sternberg cells, a type of cell characteristic of Hodgkin's disease.

So, a week later I'm in the hospital again. This time for an incisional biopsy. This one was no fun. I was out for the whole thing, of course, but I woke up to find a tube in a private area and one coming out of my side. They were in my lung, after all, and needed to suction the fluids from the plura sack (a thing surrounding the lung). This operation kept me in the hospital for a week. It sucked, being in the hospital for a week, that is. Besides the chest tube, I was feeling okay. This time, the test was conclusive and here I am.

Treatment

By this point, of course, I had done much researching on the internet about Hodgkin's disease. I discovered that the survival rate after five years is over 80%. My particular type, Type II-E, has a 90% survival rate. Don't worry, I'll be around for a good long life. It also mentions that death due to recurrance, secondary cancers, or other complications happen at 15-20 years. Of course, who's to say this would not have happened anyway. Most Hodgkin's disease patients discover the problem in the mid-20's or after age 55.

I found out there are three different types of Chemotherapy administered to patients with Hodgkin's Disease. The first, and oldest, is MOPP. This stuff has some nasty, and sometimes permanent, side effects, such as sterility or secondary blood problems. I'm glad I'm not taking that. The second, and only slightly better, ABVD is easier on the body while battling it out with the faster growing cells. Unfortunately, this includes hair as well as the cancer. After three weeks from the first treatement I've started to notice a lot more shedding. In 3-4 more weeks I will probably shave my head. The third treatment is called the Stanford V. According to my doctor, this type is generally administered to patients with more severe cases or older people. Generally, after chemo treatment is finished there may be a session of radiation administered. After 8 sessions, if all looks good, I will get radiation. If there is some of the cancer left, I will have two more months, or four more sessions, of chemo and I will be through with it.

The first session of chemo was interesting. Since I had never done this, nor knew of anyone who did, I didn't know what to expect. My doctor